Balochistan witnessed a significant rise in armed attacks and violent incidents during the first half of 2025, with settler killings and attacks on security forces intensifying across Balochistan, according to a newly released report by the Balochistan Home Department.
The report covers the period from January 1 to July 11, 2025, and records a total of 501 armed incidents, resulting in 257 deaths and 492 injuries.
According to the report, security forces were targeted in 332 separate attacks, in which 133 personnel were killed and 338 injured. These attacks reportedly included ambushes, remote-controlled bombings, and grenade assaults.
The report also highlights a 100% increase in settler killings compared to the same period last year. So far in 2025, 52 settlers have been killed and 11 injured in 14 targeted attacks, whereas the same period in 2024 saw 22 settlers killed in 7 attacks.
The Home Department said that improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were used in 28 attacks, causing 19 deaths and 62 injuries, including a major incident involving Jaffar Express, in which 28 people were killed. Attacks on railway tracks claimed the life of one individual.
Additionally, Balochistan saw 35 grenade attacks that killed 3 people and injured 30. Two sectarian incidents resulted in 5 deaths, and an attack on polio workers left one person dead. Nine separate attacks on communications infrastructure injured two people and caused damage to basic installations, the report said.
The Home Department stated that the scale and intensity of these incidents suggest that armed groups are pursuing a coordinated strategy targeting security institutions, critical infrastructure, and specific communities.
Alongside the government report, two prominent Baloch “pro-independence” groups, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), also issued their own six-month operational summaries.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) also released its six-month operational report, detailing its activities between January and July 2025. According to the group, it carried out 284 attacks targeting Pakistani security forces, infrastructure, military cantonments, and local “death squads” allegedly collaborating with the state.
The BLA stated that its elite units — including the Majeed Brigade, Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS), Fateh Squad, and the intelligence wing Zirab — were responsible for six coordinated attacks during the reporting period. The group claims to have killed 726 individuals, including 668 security personnel and 58 alleged facilitators, while injuring 373 others. It also reported the arrest of 280 individuals.
Among the operations detailed, the group highlighted nine “special operations” and three “fidayee” (self-sacrificial) attacks, carried out primarily by the Majeed Brigade. One of the most high-profile incidents cited was the hijacking of the Jaffar Express train in March, which the BLA claims was transporting a large number of Pakistani security personnel. According to the group, it released civilian passengers, detained military personnel, and offered the Pakistani government a 48-hour window for a prisoner exchange. The group alleges that after the ultimatum expired without response, the detainees were executed.
The BLA also claimed responsibility for the destruction of 131 vehicles and the execution of 121 explosions during the six-month span. It said its fighters temporarily occupied more than 45 cities, towns, military camps, national highways, and security checkpoints — some for several hours, others for days — and destroyed 17 military installations. The group reported seizing 115 weapons, including heavy arms.
The BLA acknowledged the loss of 36 fighters during the reporting period, including the seven who participated in the three “fidayee” attacks. It also noted that the Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), a coalition of Baloch “pro-independence” groups to which the BLA belongs, carried out 91 additional attacks on Pakistani forces in the same timeframe.
The group confirmed the death of its central commander, Basit Zehri alias Qazi, who reportedly died following a prolonged battle with renal disease. It credited Zehri with transforming the BLA into a more organized and disciplined independence movement. The BLA also paid tribute to veteran nationalist leader Commander Malik Khan Marri, who also passed away in recent weeks.
Additionally, the group posthumously awarded slain fighter Baig Muhammad with its second-highest military honor, “Sagaar-e-Baloch,” meaning “Sword of the Baloch.”
Meanwhile, the BLF claimed responsibility for 302 attacks in the same period, reporting 221 security personnel killed and over 148 injured. The group stated it had seized more than 131 weapons and destroyed or disabled over 88 security vehicles.
Both organizations confirmed the deaths of 53 of their fighters during these operations, including 17 BLF, 29 BLA fighters, and 7 suicide attackers.